Hanging belt

ABSTRACT

A hanging belt includes a main belt, two supplementary belts respectively connected to two opposite ends of the main belt at an angle, an interlocking series of teeth extending along respective border edges of the main belt and the supplementary belts, a slide coupled between a part of the interlocking series of teeth at the main belt and another part of the interlocking series of teeth at one supplementary belt and movable to close the interlocking series of teeth and to convert the main belt and the supplementary belts into a bag, a clasp fastened to the slide, and fasteners fixedly mounted at the two opposite ends of the main belt and the supplementary belts and adapted for detachably securing the two supplementary belts to the main belt and to each other to hold the hanging belt in the form of a loop for hanging.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to hang belts and more particularly to a hanging belt for hanging around the neck to hang a name badge, magnetic access card, mobile phone or any other mobile electronic device from the chest that can be converted into a storage bag.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

A hanging belt or neck belt is for hanging around the user's neck to hang a personal item from the chest. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,997 discloses a convertible camera-supporting belt, which includes a belt strap having a first set of ends connectable by an adjustable buckle to form a belt to be worn about the neck. A clip or snap hook can be connected to the adjustable buckle for securing a name badge or magnetic access card holder. However, this design of convertible camera-supporting belt can simply be used for hanging a personal item. When it is not used for hanging, it will become a superfluous thing. Thus, this design of convertible camera-supporting belt has a low added value.

It will be a practical and great design to enable a hanging belt for hanging a name badge, magnetic access card, mobile phone, earphones or any other mobile electronic device from the chest to be convertible into a storage bag for storing the name badge, magnetic access card, mobile phone, earphones or mobile electronic device. Techniques enabling a fabric belt to be rapidly converted into a bar are known. Exemplars are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,983 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,509,985. These designs have fastening means arranged around the border edge of a belt body and use a slide for securely fastening successive tiers of the fastening means together to form a hand carried container. However, these design do not allow the belt body to be conveniently converted into a loop for hanging. Further improvement on these designs is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a hanging belt that can be conveniently arranged into a loop for hanging around the neck to hang a name badge, magnetic access card, mobile phone or any other mobile electronic device from the chest, and can be rapidly converted into a storage bag for storing a personal item.

To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a hanging belt of the invention comprises a main belt, two supplementary belts respectively connected to two opposite ends of the main belt at an angle, an interlocking series of teeth extending along respective border edges of the main belt and the supplementary belts, a slide coupled between a part of the interlocking series of teeth at the main belt and another part of the interlocking series of teeth at one supplementary belt and movable to close two symmetrical halves of the interlocking series of teeth and to convert the main belt and the supplementary belts into a bag, a clasp fastened to the slide, and fastening means fixedly mounted at the two opposite ends of the main belt and the supplementary belts and adapted for detachably securing the two supplementary belts to the two opposite ends of the main belt and detachably securing the two supplementary belts together to hold the hanging belt in the form of a loop for hanging.

Preferably, the contained angle defined between each supplementary belt and the main belt is smaller than 90°.

Preferably, the hanging belt further comprises a connection member, for example, a spring clip, snap hook or mobile phone strap can be fastened to the clasp.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the fastening means is a snap button fastening structure, which comprises at least one single-sided snap button mounted at one side of each of the two opposite ends of the main belt, and at least one double-sided snap button mounted at each supplementary belt. Each double-sided snap button at each supplementary belt is detachably fastenable to one respective single-sided snap button at one end of the main belt. Further, one double-sided snap button at one supplementary belt is detachably fastenable to one respective double-sided snap button at the other supplementary belt.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the fastening means is a fabric hook-and-loop fastening structure, which comprises a first fastening strip affixed to one side of each of the two opposite ends of the main belt, a second fastening strip affixed to one side of each supplementary belt, a third fastening strip affixed to an opposite side of one supplementary belt and a fourth fastening strip affixed to an opposite side of the other supplementary belt. The second fastening strips at the supplementary belts are respectively detachably fastenable to the two first fastening strips at the two opposite ends of the main belt. Further, the third fastening strip at one supplementary belt and the fourth fastening strip at the other supplementary belt are detachably fastenable to each other.

By means of using the snap button fastening structure or fabric hook-and-loop fastening structure to fasten the two supplementary belts to the main belt in a parallel manner and then to fasten the two supplementary belts together, the hanging belt is arranged into a neck strap for hanging around the neck, enabling a name badge, magnetic access card, mobile phone or any other mobile electronic device to be secured to the clasp. Further, by means of pulling the slide to close two symmetrical halves of the interlocking series of teeth, the hanging belt is converted into a storage bag for keeping the attached name badge, magnetic access card, mobile phone or any other mobile electronic device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an extended out view of a hanging belt in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic applied view of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a first application status of the hanging belt.

FIG. 3 illustrates a spring clip fastened to the clasp at the slide of the fastening belt in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a snap hook fastened to the clasp at the slide of the fastening belt in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic applied view of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating an operating procedure of a second application status of the hanging belt (I).

FIG. 6 is a schematic applied view of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating an operating procedure of a second application status of the hanging belt (II).

FIG. 7 is a schematic applied view of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the second application status of the hanging belt.

FIG. 8 is an extended front side view of a hanging belt in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an extended back side view of the hanging belt in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic applied view of the second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a first application status of the hanging belt.

FIG. 11 is a schematic applied view of the second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a second application status of the hanging belt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a hanging belt in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The hanging belt comprises a main belt 1 that is an elongated woven fabric belt for use as the main body of the hanging belt and convertible into a peripheral wall of handbag or purse. Two supplementary belts 2 are respectively formed integral or stitched to opposing first and second ends of the main belt 1. These supplementary belts 2 are short woven fabric belts, each defining with the main belt 10 a contained angle. This contained angle is preferably smaller than 90°. When the main belt 1 is converted into a peripheral wall of handbag or purse, the supplementary belts 2 can be respectively converted into top and side panels of the handbag or purse. An interlocking series of teeth 3 is affixed to and extended around the border edge of the main belt 1 and the border edge of each supplementary belt 2. The interlocking series of teeth 3 can be made of nylon or plastics. A slide 4 is coupled between a part of the interlocking series of teeth 3 at the main belt 1 and another part of the interlocking series of teeth 3 at one supplementary belt 2 in such a manner that moving the slide 4 can close two symmetrical halves of the interlocking series of teeth 3. A clasp 5 is connected to a crown 41 of the slide 4 for use as a pull tab as well as hanging means for securing any item to be hung. Fasteners 6 are respectively mounted at the two opposite ends of the main belt 1 and the two supplementary belts 2, enabling the two opposite ends of the main belt 1 or the two supplementary belts 2 to be secured together in a parallel manner by the fasteners 6 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 6). The two supplementary belts 2 can also be secured to the main belt 1 in a parallel manner by the fasteners 6 (see FIG. 2).

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the fasteners 6 in this embodiment are snap button fasteners each comprising a single-sided snap button 61 mounted at one side of each of the two opposite ends of the main belt 1, and a double-sided snap button 62 mounted at each supplementary belt 2. When using the hanging belt for hanging things, as shown in FIG. 2, fasten up the respective single-sided snap buttons 61 at each end of the main belt 1 and the mating double-sided snap buttons 62 at the adjacent supplementary belt 2 to secure each supplementary belt 2 to the main belt 1 closely together in a parallel manner. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, secure the two supplementary belts 2 together by respectively fastening the other sides of the double-sided snap buttons 62 at one supplementary belt 2 to the other sides of the double-sided snap buttons 62 at the other supplementary belt 2. Thus, the hanging belt is converted into a loop-like neck belt for hanging around the user's neck to hang a personal item from the chest.

Referring to FIG. 3 again, the hanging belt further comprises a connection member 7 fastened to the clasp 5. The connection member 7 can be, for example, a spring clip 71 (see FIG. 3), swivel hook 72 (see FIG. 4) or mobile phone strap (not shown) for securing a name badge 10, magnetic access card, mobile phone or any other mobile electronic device. By means of the connection member 7, a user can use the hanging belt to hang name badge, magnetic access card, mobile phone or any other mobile electronic device from the chest.

If the hanging belt is not used for hanging, as shown in FIG. 5, pull the clasp 5 and the slide 4 to close an end part of the interlocking series of teeth 3 at the main belt 1 and another part of the interlocking series of teeth 3 at one supplementary belt 2, converting the respective supplementary belt 2 into a bottom panel of a bag. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7, keep pulling the clasp 5 and the slide 4 to close two symmetrical middle parts of the interlocking series of teeth 3 at two opposite lateral sides of the main belt 1, converting the main belt 1 into a bag body that has the bottom panel of the respective supplementary belt 2 secured to a bottom side thereof. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, keep pulling the clasp 5 and the slide 4 to the end to close an opposite end part of the interlocking series of teeth 3 at the main belt 1 and the remaining part of the interlocking series of teeth 3 at the other supplementary belt 2, converting the other supplementary belt 2 into a top panel of the bag body that is formed of the main belt 1. Thus, if the hanging belt is not used for hanging, it can be converted into a storage bag or protective bag for keeping a name badge, magnetic access card, mobile phone 20 (see FIG. 7) or any other mobile electronic device.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, a hanging belt in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. Similar to the aforesaid first embodiment of the present invention, this second embodiment also comprises a main belt 1, two supplementary belts 2, an interlocking series of teeth 3, a slide 4, a clasp 5, and a connection member 7. The main feature of this second embodiment is the use of a fabric hook-and-loop fastening structure 8 instead of the aforesaid snap button fasteners 6. By means of the fabric hook-and-loop fastening structure 8, each supplementary belt 2 can be detachably secured to the main belt 1 in a parallel manner, and the two supplementary belts 2 can also be detachably secured together (see FIG. 10), receiving the supplementary belts 2 to one side of the main belt 1.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the fabric hook-and-loop fastening structure 8 comprises a first fastening strip 81 affixed to one side of each end of the main belt 1, a second fastening strip 82 affixed to one side of each supplementary belt 2, a third fastening strip 83 and a fourth fastening strip 84 respectively affixed to the other sides of the two supplementary belts 2. As shown in FIG. 10, the two second fastening strips 82 are detachably fastenable to the first fastening strips 81 at the main belt 1; the third fastening strip 83 at one supplementary belt 2 and the fourth fastening strip 84 at the other supplementary belt 2 are detachably fastenable to each other. In this embodiment, the first fastening strips 81 and the third fastening strip 83 are fabric hook strips; the second fastening strips 82 and the fourth fastening strip 84 are fabric loop strips detachably fastenable to the fabric hook strips.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, by means of pulling the slide 4 to close the two symmetrical halves of the interlocking series of teeth 3, the hanging belt of this second embodiment can also be converted into a storage bag or protective bag.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hanging belt, comprising: a main belt being an elongated member having two opposite ends; two supplementary belts each having one end fixedly connected to a respective one of the two opposite ends of said main belt at a predetermined angle so that each said supplementary belt define with said main belt a predetermined contained angle; an interlocking series of teeth fixedly fastened to and extending along the contour of said main belt and the contour of each said supplementary belt; a slide coupled between a part of said interlocking series of teeth at said main belt and another part of said interlocking series of teeth at one said supplementary belt and movable to close two symmetrical halves of said interlocking series of teeth and to convert said main belt and said supplementary belts into a bag; a clasp fastened to said slide; and snap button fastening means fixedly mounted at the two opposite ends of said main belt and said supplementary belts and adapted for respectively and detachably securing said two supplementary belts to the two opposite ends of said main belt and detachably securing said two supplementary belts together to hold the hanging belt in the form of a loop for hanging.
 2. The hanging belt as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contained angle defined between each said supplementary belt and said main belt is smaller than 90°.
 3. The hanging belt as claimed in claim 2, wherein said snap button fastening means comprises at least one single-sided snap button mounted at one side of each of the two opposite ends of said main belt, and at least one double-sided snap button mounted at each said supplementary belt, each said double-sided snap button at each said supplementary belt being detachably fastenable to one respective said single-sided snap button at one end of said main belt, one said double-sided snap button at one said supplementary belt being detachably fastenable to one respective said double-sided snap button at the other said supplementary belt.
 4. The hanging belt as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a connection member fastened to said clasp.
 5. The hanging belt as claimed in claim 4, wherein said connection member is selected from the group consisting of spring clip, snap hook and mobile phone strap.
 6. A hanging belt, comprising: a main belt being an elongated member having two opposite ends; two supplementary belts each having one end fixedly connected to a respective one of the two opposite ends of said main belt at a predetermined angle so that each said supplementary belt define with said main belt a predetermined contained angle; an interlocking series of teeth fixedly fastened to and extending along the contour of said main belt and the contour of each said supplementary belt; a slide coupled between a part of said interlocking series of teeth at said main belt and another part of said interlocking series of teeth at one said supplementary belt and movable to close two symmetrical halves of said interlocking series of teeth and to convert said main belt and said supplementary belts into a bag; a clasp fastened to said slide; and a fabric hook-and-loop fastening structure fixedly mounted at the two opposite ends of said main belt and said supplementary belts and adapted for respectively and detachably securing said two supplementary belts to the two opposite ends of said main belt and detachably securing said two supplementary belts together to hold the hanging belt in the form of a loop for hanging.
 7. The hanging belt as claimed in claim 6, wherein the contained angle defined between each said supplementary belt and said main belt is smaller than 90°.
 8. The hanging belt as claimed in claim 7, wherein said fabric hook-and-loop fastening structure comprises a first fastening strip affixed to one side of each of the two opposite ends of said main belt, a second fastening strip affixed to one side of each said supplementary belt, a third fastening strip affixed to an opposite side of one said supplementary belt and a fourth fastening strip affixed to an opposite side of the other said supplementary belt, the two said second fastening strips at said supplementary belts being detachably fastenable to the two said first fastening strips at the two opposite ends of said main belt, said third fastening strip at one said supplementary belt and said fourth fastening strip at the other said supplementary belt being detachably fastenable to each other.
 9. The hanging belt as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a connection member fastened to said clasp.
 10. The hanging belt as claimed in claim 9, wherein said connection member is selected from the group consisting of spring clip, snap hook and mobile phone strap. 